Table Of Content
- Denouncing Hamas, and approving aid for Israel and Ukraine
- What comes next after Johnson's election
- Avoiding a government shutdown
- House expected to vote on resolution in support of Israel Wednesday afternoon
- His opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights
- Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar nominates Hakeem Jeffries for House speaker
He’s taking charge after three weeks of infighting, other failed candidacies and no action on legislation. Stefanik made the argument that Johnson is the best candidate as "we live in perilous times and the American people are hurting." Voting will be done verbally with members called by name alphabetically and then stating their choice for speaker.
Denouncing Hamas, and approving aid for Israel and Ukraine
The brief claimed that the officials and courts in each of the battleground states unconstitutionally usurped the power granted to state legislators by changing election rules in 2020. "I think you're going to see that we're back at full strength. We're energized, unified and I think that's a positive thing for the country," he said. Democrats will nominate Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and they are being urged to vote for him, according to a notice from Democratic whip Katherine Clark's office. Rep. Pete Aguilar , the Democratic caucus chair, will deliver the nominating speech for Jeffries. "We have to ensure Vladimir Putin is not successful, and I think all the House Republicans are united in that cause."
What comes next after Johnson's election
He sits on the Judiciary Committee (and chairs a subcommittee on the Constitution), the Armed Services Committee and the newly created select committee on "Weaponization of the Federal Government." As House Republicans gathered earlier in the week to select their third nominee for speaker, Trump vowed to remain on the sidelines of the race. But hours after Emmer won the nod in a closed-door vote by the conference Tuesday morning, the former president lambasted the Minnesota Republican, writing on Truth Social that "voting for a Globalist RINO like Tom Emmer would be a tragic mistake." The four absences mean Johnson will need 215 votes to win the speakership if all members in the chamber vote for a candidate.
Avoiding a government shutdown
McCarthy announced in September that he would be opening a formal impeachment inquiry into Mr. Biden focused on allegations that he benefited financially from his family members' foreign business dealings. Republicans have presented no direct evidence of wrongdoing by the president since they began looking into the Biden family's overseas work after taking control of the House in January. In his proposed schedule for the current Congress, Johnson said passing the final version of the NDAA would take place in December. In his blueprint for the rest of the 118th Congress, Johnson proposed the House take up the farm bill in December and begin negotiations with the Senate "as soon as possible" following action by the upper chamber. Congress passes a package of legislation that sets policy for agricultural and food programs, known as the farm bill, every five years. The most recent package was approved in 2018 and expired Sept. 30, though some of its provisions remain in place, according to the Department of Agriculture.
CNN Political Director David Chalian notes that as the House approached the halfway mark of the floor vote, Republican Mike Johnson has lost zero votes from members of his party. When speaker elections have gone to multiple ballots, no speaker has ever been elected on ballots four to eight. During the speaker battle, Trump proved more adept at hurting candidates than helping them win — his early endorsee, Jordan, flamed out on the floor.
House expected to vote on resolution in support of Israel Wednesday afternoon
GOP Rep. Scott Perry, a conservative member from Pennsylvania, said Tuesday that members will likely give Johnson some leeway on government spending bills. A member of Congress since 2017, Johnson has no experience in the House leadership, but vowed to hit the ground running and get the House back to work. A government shutdown is fast approaching, and the White House has requested a $106 billion emergency aid package for Israel, Ukraine and other priorities.
Johnson has also co-sponsored legislation by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., called the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, which would make it a crime to provide gender-affirming care to people under 18 years of age. A spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ rights group, labeled Johnson “Jim Jordan with a jacket and a smile,” referring to the right-wing firebrand from Ohio who chairs the House Judiciary Committee. Johnson has a spotless history of voting against legal abortion, earning an "A+" rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
U.S. House votes down border bill favored by conservatives • Source New Mexico - Source New Mexico
U.S. House votes down border bill favored by conservatives • Source New Mexico.
Posted: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:09:50 GMT [source]
Johnson sworn in as House speaker: "The people's House is back in business"
"Today is the day that House Republicans will humbly look in our hearts and elect Mike Johnson as speaker of the People's House," she said. The California Democrat noted Johnson's role in the effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, chairman of the Democratic caucus, rose to nominate Jeffries for speaker and accused Republicans of manufacturing a crisis that has lasted 22 days.
"We're going to dispense with all the usual ceremonies and celebrations that traditionally follow a new speakership because we have no time for either one," Johnson said. “The door to the speaker’s office now is open to the members and to the constituents, not just the lobbyists,” Rep. Matt Rosendale told reporters. House conservatives are signaling they’ll give the newly minted House Speaker Mike Johnson some runway and flexibility as the House barrels toward a November 17 spending deadline to fund the government. GOP Rep. Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma is considering a run for conference vice chair – the leadership role previously occupied by now-Speaker Mike Johnson, according to her spokesperson. Republicans could continue with their inquiry and ultimately decide not to bring articles of impeachment against the president. "But I also do believe that the House has passed the threshold for an impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Biden."
"On behalf of the House Republican conference, I rise today to nominate the gentleman from Louisiana, Mike Johnson, as speaker of the people's house," Stefanik said, which followed loud applause. Chalian noted that the last Republican candidate to win the speaker's gavel on the first vote was Paul Ryan in 2017. The GOP party also cheered on Rep. Jim Jordan, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Majority Whip Tom Emmer — all who had launched bids for the speakership — after they voted for Johnson. Rep. Mike Johnson, a key figure in failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election, seems to have enough votes to secure the gavel after weeks of GOP infighting left the House in chaos.
But Johnson's ability to avoid Trump's ire cleared a hurdle for him within the House GOP, which is attuned to the wishes of the "MAGA" base. In the Trump presidency, Johnson argued that then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi's move to rip up a copy of his State of the Union speech was a crime. “A lot of people have been talking about this the last 48 hours, and I did a little legal memo to point out to my colleagues that she actually committed a felony,” Johnson said on Fox News at the time. Johnson is a constitutional lawyer who has used his talents to craft some creative — and controversial — theories. The most notable is his role in devising an argument aimed at keeping Donald Trump in power even though he lost the 2020 election. Emmer began to lose support from conservative lawmakers shortly after Trump's missive, and he bowed out of the contest shortly after.
Shortly after 1 p.m., the House began voting for speaker, with Johnson as the Republican nominee and Jeffries as the Democratic nominee. He was the first candidate since McCarthy's ouster to face no opposition from his own party. Asked if he was worried Johnson might attempt to overturn the results of the 2024 election, Mr. Biden said he wasn't. Johnson returned to the House to applause from those in the chamber, and McHenry called the House back into order. The first order of business for the House under the new speaker is to consider a resolution from Texas Rep. Mike McCaul "standing with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists."
Colleagues say the deeply religious Louisiana Republican who calls himself a “servant” will be a steady hand and give them a fresh start. Many hope they will finally be able to move past the seemingly intractable divisions within their conference that have felled every House GOP leader in the past decade. Rep. Don Bacon is seated next to New York GOP members Nick LaLota and Anthony D’Esposito, as he did for the previous votes. "Hakeem Jeffries has not turned his back on the will of the American people. The son of two social workers, he's always stood by the side of working families. The most pressing needs of everyday Americans are his north star." This is the first round of voting with Rep. Mike Johnson as the Republican speaker nominee.
Two other previous candidates, Reps. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan, withdrew their names from consideration earlier in the process after failing to unite the party's various factions. The House is expected to vote on a resolution in support of Israel on Wednesday afternoon, according to a notice from the House Democratic whip. The members who ousted McCarthy also told reporters that they have no regrets now about ousting McCarthy.
Asked if he would bring a vote to oust Johnson if he put forth a short-term spending bill at current spending levels, Rep. Matt Gaetz said he’s optimistic Johnson will be able to actually pass the individual spending bills. Mr. Biden welcomed news of Johnson's election and said in a statement that both sides "need to move swiftly to address our national security needs and to avoid a shutdown in 22 days." A New York Times article last year called Johnson “the most important architect of the Electoral College objections” on Jan. 6, 2021. His argument to colleagues was that certain states’ changes to their voting procedures during the Covid-19 pandemic were unconstitutional, an argument that became more palatable to lawmakers than the fabricated claims of mass fraud. The little-known congressman was first elected in 2016, representing a solidly Republican part of north and western Louisiana. He has ascended through the ranks, chairing the conservative Republican Study Committee and holding the position of House Republican Conference vice chair.
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